Boston Red Sox paranoia after mascot, like hitting, goes missing

Boston
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It turned out the Boston Red Sox were the architects of their own doom Friday when it came to their missing Wally the Green Monster mascot costume. Like their hitting and pitching, it was themselves that lost it.

The Boston Herald reports that when workers showed up they could not locate Wally in his usual hang-out spot and, fearful he'd been stolen, the team called in Boston police Friday afternoon. What Boston's finest had to gone on description-wise was to be on the lookout for a large monster-guy with green skin, an orange nose and smile that seems permanent because, well, it is.

There was concern a prankster had taken the big fella - heaven forbid a Yankee prankster - who's been working with the team since 1997. Boston's in last place in the East division but has won two World Series since Wally was hired, in 2004 and 2007, their first wins since 1918, a drought of 86 years. Considered in that context it makes it understandable that 0 wins in 86 years without Wally, and 2 wins in 14 with him, lead to Red Sox management wanting their mascot back.

But while the police were doing whatever police do to locate a missing mascot, Wally showed up on his own, or at least with an employee. Turns out the employee took the costume and simply neglected to tell anyone. A spokesperson for the club, Zineb Curran, said the employee took Wally to "spread some Red Sox Nation cheer."

The website for the Sox notes that Wally has his own page there and he can be booked, now that he's home, by emailing him at wally@redsox.com or by calling his hotline at (617) 226-6520. If you do book him, make sure you let someone know.